Stop exploiting Nigerians with outrageous prices, CDHR tells Petroleum Marketers

The Committee for Defense of Human Rights has blast Petroleum Marketers over the outrageous prices they sell their products to the general public despite the fact they get their supply from Nigerian  National Corperation(NNPC) in a cheap amount saying that, with their attitude, they are exploiting the public and therefore tasked them to desist from this  act.

Speaking to newsmen on Wednesday, in his office in Warri, in Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State, the Chairman, Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, Delta State branch, Comrade Jonathan Giama, said by the attitude of the Marketers  exploiting the public, they further add to the harshship(s) which  they(Nigerians) face in the country.

According to him, by all standards, if NNPC says it supplies the products for the Marketers for N600, and they (Marketers ) sell for N950 and if one subtracts the cost of purchase which amounts to N600 from N950, the sum of N350 which is a substantial amount is still left  saying, if that N350 is multipliied  with over 33000 litres of the  products, they would get billions of Naira which would be enough for them remain in the business.

Comrade Giama said, by the calculations, Marketers  are exploiting the public saying, unless some steps are adopted to mitigate this challenge,the masses would continue to suffer in the hands of the Marketers. His words: "By  all calculations, the Marketers are subjecting the masses to suffering by their exploitation and until something is done, we shall  continue to suffer in their hands".

According to Giama, before now, NNPC used to fix prices of the  products for Marketers to sell  saying that, that  was the time when Nigerians enjoyed as regards the sales of the products in the country. He said, these days, Marketers now sell at will just as he said, again, Petroleum Tasks Force do  not monitor filling stations to know if  Marketers comply with NNPC'  stipulated amount which they need to sell to the public.

His words:" Before now, Petroleum Tasks Force would go round filling stations to see that Marketers comply with the directives  of NNPC, this was the time Nigerians enjoyed the products but today, the story has changed. Marketers   now  sell  at will thereby exploiting the public, this of course, is bad".

Comrade Giama therefore called on Nigerian National Corperation ( NNPC) to fix prices for the marketers to sell to ensure that the masses are not exploited just as he charged Petroleum Tasks Force to see it as  a point of duty to go round to monitor the Marketers in this regard.

His words:" The Petroleum Products  Task Force should do their job by monitoring the Marketers to enable them  comply with the directives  of NNPC to save Nigerians from  their(Marketers) hands".

The Human Rights Activist said, the monitoring of the Marketers to ensure the products get to the masses in the normal price  should not only be the work of the Federal Government but the the state and local governments  should also be  involved. His words: "The monitoring of the Marketers to ensure the products get to the masses at the stipulated amount by NNPC should not be left in the hands of the Federal Government, the state and the local governments should be involved". 

He used the medium to call on the Federal Government to keep to the promises it made to the Nigerians that Port-Harcourt refinery would  come on stream at the end of the month of September to alleviate the sufferings  of Nigerians.
His words: "The Federal Government should not forget that it promised Nigerians that, at the  end of the month of September,2024, the Port-Harcourt refinery would come on stream because, Nigerians are passing through hell at present".

Comrade Giama said the Federal Government should take the necessary steps to wade into this Petroleum issue to solve it once and for all to enable the masses  breathe. According to him, the organization's aim is to fight injustice in humanity adding, enough is enough as it can not continue to fold its arms and see the masses suffer. He said, although, it is not a threat but should the Federal Government fail to heed to the call of the masses which the organization has placed on table before it, the organization has no choice but mobilize its members to embark on protests to drive home its demands.